What is hearing loss?

Hearing loss is a sudden or gradual decrease in how well you can hear. Gradual hearing loss happens over time. It can affect people of all ages. Hearing loss may range from slight to profound. Depending on the cause, hearing loss may improve with treatment (reversible) or be lasting (permanent).

Common symptoms of hearing loss include:

• Muffled hearing and a feeling that your ear is plugged.
• Trouble understanding what people are saying. This is most common when other people are talking or when there is background noise.
• Listening to the TV or radio at a higher volume than in the past.

Other symptoms may include:

• A ringing, roaring, hissing, or buzzing in the ear (tinnitus).
• Ear pain, itching, or irritation.
• Pus or fluid leaking from the ear.
• A feeling that you or your surroundings are spinning (vertigo).

People who have hearing loss are sometimes not aware of it. Often, family members or friends are the first to notice the hearing loss.

Social situations can be tiring and stressful for people who don't hear well. They may start to avoid those situations as their hearing loss gets worse. Many adults become depressed because of how hearing loss affects their relationships and social life.

To diagnose hearing loss, your doctor will do a physical exam and ask about your symptoms and past health. Your doctor also may look in your ears with a lighted device called an otoscope.

If your doctor thinks that you have hearing loss, you'll have hearing tests to check whether you have hearing loss and find out how severe it is. You may be referred to an audiologist for the tests. These tests may include:

• Tuning fork tests.
• Pure tone audiometry.
• Speech reception and word recognition tests.
• Otoacoustic emissions test.
• Auditory brain stem response test.
• Tympanometry.
• Other tests to find out what kind of hearing loss you have, or which part of your ear is affected.

You may be referred to an ear, nose, and throat specialist for other tests or treatments.

Treatment depends on the type and cause of the hearing loss. Your doctor can help you choose the best treatment.

Permanent hearing loss.

Proper treatment is important. Hearing loss may lead to loneliness, depression, and loss of independence. Treatment can make communication, social interaction, and daily activities easier and more enjoyable.

• Treatment can't bring back your hearing. But hearing devices, such as hearing aids, can help you hear and communicate better. Other devices can help alert you to sounds around the house, like the phone or doorbell.
• Cochlear implants may be an option.
• You can learn ways to live with reduced hearing, such as paying attention to people's gestures, facial expressions, posture, and tone of voice.

Reversible hearing loss.

Reversible hearing loss can often be treated successfully. Treatment depends on its cause. For example, removing earwax or taking medicine for an infection may help your hearing come back.

• Avoid loud noises whenever possible. This helps keep your hearing from getting worse.
• Always wear hearing protection around loud noises.
• Wear a hearing aid as directed.
  • A professional can help you pick a hearing aid that will work best for you.
  • You can also get hearing aids over the counter for mild to moderate hearing loss.
• Have hearing tests as your doctor suggests. They can show whether your hearing has changed. Your hearing aid may need to be adjusted.
• Use other devices as needed. These may include:
  • Telephone amplifiers and hearing aids that can connect to a television, stereo, radio, or microphone.
  • Devices that use lights or vibrations. These alert you to the doorbell, a ringing telephone, or a baby monitor.
  • Television closed-captioning. This shows the words at the bottom of the screen. Most new TVs can do this.
  • TTY (text telephone). This lets you type messages back and forth on the telephone instead of talking or listening. These devices are also called TDD. When messages are typed on the keyboard, they are sent over the phone line to a receiving TTY. The message is shown on a monitor.
• Use text messaging, social media, and email if it is hard for you to communicate by telephone.
• Try to learn a listening technique called speechreading. It is not lipreading. You pay attention to people's gestures, expressions, posture, and tone of voice. These clues can help you understand what a person is saying. Face the person you are talking to, and have them face you. Make sure the lighting is good. You need to see the other person's face clearly.
• Think about counseling if you need help to adjust to your hearing loss.